Collapsible crate.



H. A. FORKNER & I. B. MILUM.

GOLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1907.

Patnted Jan. 5, 1909.

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TIE- i- A? WWW; MM 44 1/ H. A. FORKNER & J. B. MILUM.

' GOLLAPSIBLE CRATE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1907.

, Patented $11.5, 1909.

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carer-serene Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 5, i969.

Aptneeuon flied Tune 17, 1907. serial No. 379,418.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat we, HENRY A. FORKNER and JAMES B. MILUM, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCollapsible Crates; and 'we do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to collapsible crates designed especially for useas a poultry ship ping coop, and has for its objects to provide acomparatively simple and inexpensive device of this character which maybe readily setup for use or folded into neat compact form for shi mentor storage, and one wherein the parts of the crate, will when they arein folded or unfolded condition, be securely fixed against accidentalmovement.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novelfeatures of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafterdescribed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crateembodying the invention, showing the same set up for use and with thecover removed; Fig. 2 is a section taken centrally and longitudinallythrough the crate with the cover in place; Fig. 3 is a verticaltransverse section through the same; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thecrate showing the parts in folded condition; Fig. 5 is a centrallongitudinal section through the crate with the parts in the position asin Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the crate embodies abottom 1, side walls 2, end walls 3, and a cover 4, there being attachedto the upper face of the bottom, respectively at its ends, a air ofcross pieces or cleats 5 to which the fewer edges of the walls 3 areivotally connected by means of hinges 6, W ile the side walls 2 are inlike manner connected by hinges 7 directly to the bottom 1. Under thisarrangement the side walls may in collapsing the crate be foldeddownward flat upon the bottom, and the end walls be thereafter foldeddownward upon the side walls, which latter, it will be understood, areof a height equaling substantially one-half the width of thebottom.

Attached to the end walls 3 are substantially L-shaped clips 8, whichoverlap the ends of the walls 2 at their outer faces and are perforatedat 9 to receive short pins or studs 10 projecting outwardly from thewalls 2, whereby the side and end walls are fixed against outwardspreading movement, while the side walls are fixed against inwardcollapsing movement by means of springlocking members or tongues 11attached to the inner faces of the end walls 3 and adapted to engage attheir outer ends with the inner 5 faces of the sidewalls 2, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1 it being understood that in order to fold the sidewalls of the box the locking tongues 11 are pressed inward flat againstthe faces of the end walls 3, thereby per- 73 mitting ready movement ofthe side walls.

The cover 4 when in position on the box is held against longitudinal ortransverse movement by meansof verticall uprising pins 12 fixed in theupper edges of the walls 3 and adaptedto enter perforations 13 formedthe ends or the cover, which-is also provided at its sides withdownwardly projecting pins 14 disposed to register with and enterperforations 15 formed in the upper 30 edges of the side walls 2, itbeing evident that when the cover is in place and owing to the pinsengaging in the perforations, the side and end walls will be securedagainst either inward or outward movement, there- 35 by relieving theclips 8 and locking members 11 of material strain during transportationof the crates. The cover is locked in position on the crate by means ofpivoted latches 16 adapted for engagement with eyes or keepers 17,provided on the end walls 3 near their upper edges, there being alsoprovided on the cleats 5 similar eyes or keepers 18 with which the latchmembers may be engaged when the crate is in collapsed condition, as morefully hereinafter explained. Aside from the openings or perforations 13the cover is also provided at its sides near its ends with verticalperforations 19 adapted to register with and receive outwardly pro-{ecting pins 20 fixed in the end walls 3 for, iolding the cover againstlongitudinal or transverse movement when the parts of the crate arearranged in folded condition for reshipment.

In practice when the crate is set up for use the pins 10 will pro'ectthrough the perforations 9 in the clips 8 and the spring locking members11 engage the inner faces of the side walls to hold the several walls of110 the crate in proper position while the crate is being filled, afterwhich, the cover 4 is seated in place with the pins 12 projecting upwardthrough the openings 18 and the pins 14 en aging the openings 15. Thecover is fina ly secured in place by engaging the latch hooks with theircompanion eyes or keepers 17. In order to collapse or fold the crate asillustrated in Fig. 4, the springs 11 are compressed, as beforeexplained, and the side walls 2 first folded inward fiat upon the bottom1, after which, the end walls are folded downward upon the sides and thecover finally seated in place with the pins 19 engaging the perforations20 to prevent relatively sliding movement of the cover, which is fixedin place by engaging the latch hooks 16 with the eyes 18.

While we have herein shown and described the crate as especially adaptedfor use as a poultry shipping coop, it will be understood that by makingthe side and end walls and cover solid it may be used as a crate forshipping all classes of merchandise.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters- Patent, is

A collapsible crate comprising a bottom, transverse end cleats attachedto the upper face thereof, a pair of side walls hinged to the bottom andadapted to fold inwardly and downwardly between the cleats, a pairscenes of end walls hinged respectively to said cleats to fold inwardlyand downwardly upon the side walls, pins projecting outwardly from theend walls, a removable cover for said crate, pins carried by the endwalls adapted to seat in perforations provided in the cover to securethe same against longitudinal or transverse movement, said cover alsoprovided with holes to receive the outwardly projecting pins on the endwalls when the device is collapsed, keepers arranged at the upper outercorners of the end walls to hold the side walls against outward lateraldisplacement, fiat springs arranged at the inner corners of the endwalls to hold the side walls against inward displacement, pins arrangedat the upper outer corners of the side walls to project through thekeepers to hold the end walls against outward movement, eyes on thecleats and end walls, and hooks carried by the cover to engage the same.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. FORKNER. JAMES B. MILUM. Witnesses:

O. L. STEELE,

Mrs. .S, H. MAJons.

